Lubricant applicator



March 29, 1960 F. L. ONEIL LUBRICANT APPLICATOR Filed Oct. 16, 1956 INVENTOR.

FREDERICK L. O'lVE/L Unite States Patent LUBRICANT APPLICATOR Frederick L. ONeil, Biddeford, Maine, assignor to Garland Manufacturing Company, Saco, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application October 16, 1956, Serial No. 616,190

2 Claims. (Cl. 15--131.05)

This invention relates to a device for applying lubricants and the like to surfaces, and more particularly relates to an applicator fitting serving as a combined nozzle, spreader, and guard for use on a lubricant delivermg means.

The invention has among its objects the provision of a novel device for applying flowable lubricants and the like to surfaces.

Another object is to provide a novel applicator device serving as a combined nozzle, spreader, and guard for use on a lubricant delivering means.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel device for applying a thin film of a flowable lubricant or the like to convex surfaces.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a novel applicator device of the character indicated which is laterally flexible so that it may flex to conform generally to a variety of diameters of convex surfaces with which it is used.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an applicator device which applies to desired surfaces a thin uniform coating of material such as semi-solid lubricants and the like without getting such material on the hands or other surfaces.

The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanyinw drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of applicator in accordance with the invention, the applicator being depicted as attached to a fragmentarily shown collapsible lubricant-supplying tube, and in the act of applying lubricant to a cylindrical rod shown in phantom lines;

Fig. 2 is a view generally in plan of the applicator, per se, the view being taken along line 22 of Fig. 1; r

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the applicator of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the applicator, the view being taken in the direction from right to left in Fig. l, the applicator being shown cooperating with a rod of a first diameter, shown in phantom lines;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but with the applicator shown cooperating with a rod, shown in phantom lines, of a second, larger diameter; and

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of an applicator mounted on a lubricant-delivering collapsible tube and applying lubricant to an elongated rod.

The illustrative embodiment of applicator herein shown and described is adapted to apply a semi-solid lubricant or grease to cylindrical rods such as the so-called picker rods in looms. Such rods, which are located in proximity to the fabric being woven, require regular lubrication to operate satisfactorily. If too much lubricant is applied 2,930,061 Patented Mar. 29, 1960 ice to the rods, it may spot and damage the fabric, and in any event, the resulting uneven lubricant films and bunches. must be wiped away. Such difficulties are avoided by use of the applicator of the invention. There is also a saving of lubricant and of the time and effort needed to apply the lubricant.

Although the applicator is primarily described in connection with the lubrication of picker rods, it will, of course, be understood that it is capable to use to advantage in the dispensing and spreading of thin films of flowable, usually semi-solid, materials upon convex surfaces havingvarious different configurations.

The embodiment of applicator shown, which is generally designated by the reference character 10, is adapted for use with a lubricant-delivering collapsible tube, such as that indicated at 16 in Figs. 1 and 5. Applicator 10 in the embodiment shown is an integrally molded device made, for example, of relatively stiff elastomeric material such as polyvinylchloride. The applicator has a spreading shoe and guard member 11 formed as a longitudinal section of a relatively thin-walled circular cylinder. Applicator 10 is adapted to be placed upon a rod or other member having a convex surface to be lubricated so that member 11 thereof receives said surface in the manner indicated in Figs. 1, 4, 5 and 6. I

A lubricant-conducting tubular portion 12, shown disposed at a convenient acute angle to the longitudinal extent of member 11, is connected to member 11 at least generally centrally thereof as regards both the longitudinal and lateral dimensions of member 11. Tubular portion 12 has a female terminal fitting 14 on its outer end, fitting 14 being internally threaded at 15 to receive the externally threaded nipple 17 of a collapsible tube 16. Tubular portion 12 and fitting 14 thereon are braced to member 11 by longitudinaly extending central forward and rear webs 19and 20, respectively.

Material such as grease and thelike, contained in tube 16, is delivered under pressure through nipple 17 and passage 21' in tubular portion 12 of applicator 10 when the sides of the tube 16 are squeezed as indicated in Fig. 6. Such material flows out of passage 21 and, when device 10 is pressed against a convex article such as rod 24, onto the surface of the rod. if the device 10 and the lubricant supply tube 16 are reciprocated along and/or rotated about the axis of the surface of the rod, such surface will be coated with a thin substantially uniform layer of lubricant. The inner, rod-contacting surface of member 11 is preferably provided with shallow forward and rear undercuts 22 (Figs. 1 and 3) which prevent the shutting ofi of the innerend of passage 21 by the surface of a rod such as rod 24 and also serve as small reservoirs for the lubricant as it flows out of the passage. Thus, with device 10 applied to a rod as shown in Fig. 6, continued pressure upon the walls of tube 16 while the device 10 is reciprocated and/or rotated about rod 24 causes the lubricant to flow into undercuts or recesses 22 and thence to be spread upon the surface of the rod.

Shoe-like member 11 closely embraces a portion of rod 24, and thus serves as a spreader for the thus fed lubricant and a guard to prevent unwanted escape thereof. It is to be noted that in the embodiment of the device shown, the inner end of passage 21 is not undercut or recessed at the side 26 (one shown in Fig. 3), so that whereas lubricant escapes therefrom, when the device is applied to a member such as rod 24, into recesses 22 as described, the surface of such rod substantially seals the sides 26 against escape of lubricant. Thus lateral escape of lubricant is prevented, and only so much lubricant is dispensed from tube 16 and deposited on rod 24 as is necessary to form a thin film or coating thereon.

The shoe-like member 11 preferably has an effective inner diameter when relaxed which is substantially equal '2 a) to or somewhat smaller than, usually preferably the latter, the efiective diameter d (Fig. 4) of the convex surface which is to be most frequently treated by the applicator. 'When the applicator, or at least the spreader member 11 thereof, is made of an elastomeric deformable material such as polyvinylchloride and the like, the applicator may be used satisfactorily to coat or lubricate convex surfaces which have effective diameters which range from at least somewhat less than said relaxed diameter of member 11 to diameters markedly larger than said relaxed diameter of member 11. In Fig. 5 the applicator is shown cooperating with a rod 25 which has diameter D which markedly exceeds the diameter d of rod 25. The applicator is pressed against rod 25 so that member 11 of the applicator is laterally spreadout to conform to the surface of rod 25, the inner end of passage 21 and the undercuts 22 at the forward and rear ends thereof cooperating with the surface of rod 25 in the same manner as they do with the surface of rod 24.

Although only one embodiment of the device for ap-' plying lubricant and the like is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing specification, it is to be expressly vunderstood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes may be made in the design and arrangement of parts illustrated as well as in the material herein suggested for making the applicator device and the flowable material with which the applicator may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. An applicator for coating an elongated rod-like article having a generally cylindrical surface with a thin layer of flowable material, comprising a relatively thin flexible spreadermember made of relatively stiff elastomeric material, said spreader member having generally parallel, generally part cylindrical inner and outer surfaces, the inner, article-contacting surface of thespreader member being generally complementary to said curved surface of the article, said spreader member being elon gated in the direction ofthe axis of said inner surface, said spreader member having a material conducting aperture therein communicating with said inner surface of the spreader member intermediate of the length of the spreader member and generally centrally between the side edges of said inner surface, and a conduit member communicating with said aperture connected to and extending from the outer surface of the spreader member,

said aperture being generally rectangular and having its longitudinal axis extending generally parallel to the axis of curvature of the spreader member, and two recesses extending along the respective edges of the aperture generally transverse to the axis of the spreader member, the other two side edges of the aperture lying flush with the inner surface of the spreader member.

2. An applicator for coating an elongated rod-like article having a generally cylindrical surface with a thin layer of flowable material, comprising a generally laterally symmetrical spreader member having a central substantially rigid body portion and oppositely laterally extending thin flexible wings, the body and wings being integrally molded of relatively stiff elastomeric material, the inner surfaces of the wings and body lying generally on the same part cylinder and the outer surfaces of the wings being generally parallel to said part cylinder, the inner, article-contacting surface of the spreader member being generally complementary to said curved surface of the article, said spreader member being elongated in the direction of the axis of said inner surface, said spreader member having a material conducting aperture therein communicating with said inner surface of the spreader member intermediate of the length of the spreader member and generally centrally between the side edges of said inner surface, and a conduit member communicating with said aperture connected to and extending from the outer surface of the spreader member, the conduit member being generally straight and extending at an acuteangle with respect to the length of the spreader member, the conduit member being molded integral with the spreader member, and at least one strengthening web integral with and between the spreader and conduit members and lying generally in the plane containing the longitudinal axes of the spreader and conduit members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

